On Sunday night December 26th, 2010 New York City was hit with a major blizzard keeping many businesses closed on a major shopping day, trains stalled, airports closed, even our postal system ground to a halt. While the City tried to dig us out and uncertainty was all around us, one thing remained consistent, the Roosevelt Island Youth Program was open for business at our New York City funded Beacon Program at PS/IS 217. We served breakfast at 8AM with lunch and a mid-day snack to over 60 youth until 6PM that day. With the United States Postal Service failing to deliver on their long standing motto we think after 30 years of not closing due to weather, blackouts or any other major event we can proudly state that the Roosevelt Island Youth Program guaranteed that “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds".

Image Of Roosevelt Island Youth Program Serving Kids During Blizzard From RIYP

Thursday, December 30, 2010

With the onset of winter and cold weather comes the perennial issue of keeping your Roosevelt Island apartment warm. A new resident of Manhattan Park is freezing in his apartment and asks the Manhattan Park Google Group (you must be a resident to join thought there are groups for other buildings as well) this:

Hey all,

I've got what I'm told are the older heaters at my place. This is my first winter at the 40 building. I can generally feel warm air blowing, but I can literally leave them running over night at the "warm" setting and the place is still frigid.

Shouldn't it be legal to have actual temperature settings on these things?

It is my understanding that all of the heaters are old heaters. BUT - if your heater isn't working, just call the doorman and tell them that you need to have a work order to have your heater calibrated. We need a maintenance guy to do this every year for some reason, but then the heater works fine. The nob should click when you turn it, otherwise, I've found that it isn't working right.

Hope this helps.

Another Manhattan Park resident advised that the heating/air conditioning repairman is very good and fixes everything. Give it a try and I hope you stay warm.

According to Jane, a reader of post on how Roosevelt Island handled the Blizzard:

I've been to Manhattan and Queens in the aftermath of this storm. In a city where apparently large stretches of Queens Blvd are characterized as a "side street" (a.k.a. in desperate need of a plow on Tuesday AM) and the snowbanks at main crosswalks in Manhattan are 2-3 ft high, I'm very grateful to have started my trek at RI. Really impressed with how safe and clear the streets and sidewalks have been. I know it took a lot of people working really hard in tough conditions to make that happen. Thank you all!

land of civilized snow removal. At 11a.m. Monday, the MTA had cleaned all the snow from around the RI Subway station. That was a first and most appreciated. This afternoon everything was passable and it was great to be home where snow is still fun. Hope the kids have fun making snowmen in the parks!

Thanks to all our bousing staffs,

RIOC an everyone who does the real work!!

More Roosevelt Island images of the blizzard from Ms Turcihin below.

UPDATE 11:55 PM - Take a look at these reports showing how neighborhoods such as Ditmas Park and Sheepshead Bay are still waiting for the blizzard clean up of snow to reach them as well as this video of the blizzard's aftermath in Ditmas Park:

The current Red Bus stop at the Roosevelt Island Tram Station on the north side of the East/West Road will soon be moved to the South Side of the Street and a new Red Bus Route established.

During a meeting with members of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services Committee last Wednesday, Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Vice President Fernando Martinez confirmed that RIOC will implement the new Red Bus Route and Red Bus Tram Station Stop previously previously proposed by RIOC and reported in this earlier post. The new route is described below.

The proposed plan is that the Red Bus, instead of turning right as it currently does to drop off riders on the north side of the East/West Road (pictured at top), will go around the turnaround heading left

and drop off/pick up riders on the Tram Station Side of the street

in the spot where the Tram workers now park their cars near the construction trailers.

The Red Bus will then make a right on East Channel Road (facing Queens) heading towards Sportspark,

make another right at the South Side of Sportspark to the West Channel Road (facing Manhattan) and head north to resume it's route on Main Street towards the subway station. Before it gets to the Subway Station, the Red Bus will also stop next to the Visitors Center Kiosk.

This new route and bus stop will be implemented sometime during the middle of January 2011. Below is the new Red Bus Route. Click on the image to enlarge.

Mr. Martinez also agreed to a non-rush hour Red Bus route schedule experiment suggested by RIRA Planning Committee Chairperson Frank Farance. Starting at the Octagon, the Red Bus will operate under a fixed schedule, leaving every 20 minutes beginning on the hour and arrive at the Tram Station approximately 20 minutes later. For example, a Red Bus will leave the Octagon at 11 AM, 11:20 and 11:40 AM and arrive at the Tram Station on or before 11:20 AM, 11:40 AM and 12 PM respectively. The goal of this schedule is to have a predictable and consistent bus schedule during non-rush hour operations. This new experimental Red Bus schedule will be implemented within the next week or two and continue for about 3 or 4 weeks for evaluation. The Rush hour Red Bus Schedule will remain the same, operating under a continuous loop up and down the Island.

As to the discomfort experienced by some Tram riders due to standing outside at the stations in the cold weather, Mr. Martinez acknowledged that the tent

at the Roosevelt Island Tram Station was inadequate and that an overhead ambient heating system will be installed soon at both Tram Stations on a temporary basis this winter.

How is Roosevelt Island handling the Day After 2010 Christmas blizzard? I have heard reports of thunder and lighting accompanying the Roosevelt Island snowstorm but am out of town right now so don't know how everyone is coping back home.

Roosevelt Island resident Jason Eng took this picture of the Riverwalk Lawn facing the East River and NYC skyline.

Image From Jason Eng

Sure makes Roosevelt Island look like a winter wonderland.

At 10 PM I called RIOC's Roosevelt Island Tram Hotline phone number (212-832-4555) to find out if it was operating during the blizzard. I received a pre-recorded message advising that today, November 30, the Tram will have it's grand opening celebration. Not very helpful to have out of date information on the Tram Hotline phone number.

However, I received better service from RIOC's Red Bus Hotline phone number (212-832-4558). A live person answered the phone after only a couple of rings and advised that the Red Bus was operating but on a much slower schedule due to the weather.

UPDATE 12/27 10:35 AM - Just received the following advisory from RIOC:

Due to the snow storm, the RIOC Main office will be closed today. The RIOC Facilities and Grounds crews are working to clear the street and sidewalks. The Tram will operate today on a 15 minute schedule. The RIOC Red Bus will operate with limited service.

For information on the F train or Q102, please refer to the MTA website: http://mta.info/

What a crazy day. Well, as you could see from the Advisories, the RIOC Staff has been hard at work, clearing streets and sidewalks. Tram service has been ongoing. Our PSD Officers and Supervisors (including the Captain) have been working double shifts to cover for those who live further out and could not make it in. In addition to covering their normal posts, they are also covering the Tram and the Ramp. Hopefully, the storm is behind us for good, and with some warmer weather, we can get back to some normalcy.

The only advice I can give is if people don't have to go out, they should remain in the comforts of their homes. If they need to venture out, please be careful.

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Welcome to the Roosevelt Islander Online!

Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.

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